My co-worker quit, so I've had to take on about half her responsibilities until we find a replacement.

Plus I have to teach my other co-worker how to do things and get a new co-worker up to speed on how we do things.

We are a small group of approximately four people, and I am the most experienced in what needs to be done, so I feel responsible for everything.

Subsequently, the last couple weeks have been insane and chaotic and dense and overwhelming and aaaaaaah.

The AMWA conference is coming up, and I seriously don't even have time to do the homework for my workshops at work. I'll likely have to do it on my own time.

I am trying to be clever and save money by attaching a visit home to my trip to Phoenix for a project management course, but there's something weird with travel agent invoices that is screwing up my brilliant plan.

My comic book store doesn't have volumes 5 and 7 of Runaways in yet, and the library is having issues getting them to a library near me. I would just buy them at Borders, but I'm trying to support my local comic book store since I go there and read comics off the shelves without buying them.

My car appears to be a fucking death trap that's going to explode one day, given that it now leaks gas if I overfill the tank.

I want to buy a car but I don't even know where to begin.

My uncle is convinced that my car right now will last me two more years until it once again fails the smog check miserably and that car prices are about to plunge and that what I should really be doing is BUYING A FUCKING HOUSE OH MY FUCKING GOD SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT BUYING A MOTHERFUCKING HOUSE.

I want a ridiculous and adorable wife. The prospect of this wish coming to fruition seems less and less likely as days go by.

I want to write something new to read at the AMWA conference, but all I do is read and watch other people's work instead of creating my own. I think an idea has recently taken hold of me, but I don't know what to do with it. Also, I'm supposed to write a book or something so I can become famous.

My car appears to be a fucking death trap that's going to explode one day, given that it now leaks gas if I overfill the tank.

Stop overfilling the tank! Sorry it's going to explode, though. I hope you won't be in it when it happens.

I want to buy a car but I don't even know where to begin.

Watch Top Gear on YouTube? Or think of what size/class/whatever of car you think you'd like to get, do some web searches on the various different makes of cars that are like that, find out some safety ratings and basic bits of info, and then go out and test drive the short list?

I want a ridiculous and adorable wife. The prospect of this wish coming to fruition seems less and less likely as days go by.

Or think of what size/class/whatever of car you think you'd like to get, do some web searches on the various different makes of cars that are like that, find out some safety ratings and basic bits of info, and then go out and test drive the short list?Damn, that sounds like a lot of work. Can't I just do an Internet meme or something?

Have you considered making one out of robot parts and/or clay?Now that you mention it...

OMG! So awesome! Thank you for the linkage!Did you click on the tag? There's more!

Happy Birthday!Aw. I haven't gotten there on my rewatch. I just watched "Mettle." "The second rule of Robot Club is: no smoking."

I bought a new car last year. I'm fairly indecisive, and take a long time to make decisions, but once I figured out what I wanted it was just a matter of finding the car for the right price. I asked A LOT of people and made a trustworthy person (my brother) test drive a few with me.

A year later I don't love my car anymore, but it's still really good on gas and shiny and blue. Oh yeah, and my dog scratched 2 weeks after I bought it, because he's awesome like that.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

I have a similar list of intolerable things, and one includes feeling overly responsible at work since I have the most experience. And people keep telling me I should buy a house, when I can barely afford my "cheap" apartment.

HUGS, and, happy birthday! If you weren't 348758957 miles away (I do not actually know how many miles are between California and Quebec, clearly) I would bake you a birthday cake to cheer you up. I hope someone procures a cake for you though. Cake usually makes life more tolerable.

(my personal theory is that your quest for a wife will end up being this epic movie that people will watch through the ages filled with Veronica Mars moments, Comic Con fun, your famous life on LJ and all sorts of crazy things. So the universe is simply too busy writing the script right now to cast the romantic lead.)

all I do is read and watch other people's work instead of creating my own. I think an idea has recently taken hold of me, but I don't know what to do with it. Also, I'm supposed to write a book or something so I can become famous.I hear you. My dad's side of the family always insisted I'd write some book and be famous--mainly because I was the "good" child and I read books. I've failed that miserably, but I think you've got a better shot than most. You're creative and funny, and you have interesting experiences. Also, you've got a few cheerleaders in Oklahoma behind you.

what I should really be doing is BUYING A FUCKING HOUSEDoes he know what the housing market is like in CA right now? You might get a good deal, but it would be a bitch to resell. People are losing massive amounts of money in CA real estate at the moment.

I want a ridiculous and adorable wife.You're not quite a spinster yet. I have hope for you. I love weddings and I can't wait to see yours.

Life sucks out loud much of the time. It's hard not to dwell on it. I have no practical advice for making lemonade out of lemons, but try to have a good birthday anyway. Who knows what good things could happen today to make everything else fade away? Happy birthday! *hug*

Very many happy birthday wishes to you! I hope your day ends up fantastic.

My car appears to be a fucking death trap that's going to explode one day, given that it now leaks gas if I overfill the tank

I had a truck that if you filled it all the way with gas it would leak, too. Scared the hell out of me every time I had to start my engine again at the gas station. If I recall, though, it wasn't too expensive to fix - I hope the same for you. :)

That Goddamn Batman thing is probably going to be the highlight of my day, and it's not even 8am yet. Thanks. *g*